There are many ways to earn online, but perhaps the most popular are those free online surveys that you’ll notice would pop up now and then if you are looking for a way to make money from the Internet. These surveys are those that will offer you certain reward incentives every time you finish one of their questionnaires. The reward could be anything, from money to gift certificates.

Unfortunately, some individuals who took advantage of the popularity these free online surveys have. They use its name and image to disguise their scams, which are meant to extort money from you or simply manipulate you into making money for them. They still thrive today, as legitimate online surveys are still popular. The most common survey scams are as follows:

Surveys that Ask for Fees

Perhaps the most popular scams are the ones that straightforwardly ask for your money as you register or when you get to a certain point as you use the scam site. Scammers behind these fraudulent surveys will often advertise their surveys as “free” and in such a way that you are led to believe that it can earn you big money in a short period of time.

Once you are hooked, you’ll end up going through a rather dubious registration system, where you’ll end up getting asked for money in the end. Alternatively, they’ll simply let you in, but will still extort you after some time, like when you are cashing in your pay. It’s quite easy to avoid being scammed this way – simply back out and don’t pay. Also, avoid surveys that present offers that are too good to be true unless a thorough research proves its legitimacy.

Surveys that Ask for Your Contact Info

Some survey scams look rather innocent and advertised with quite decent and realistic offers. The registration also seems smooth and does not have strings attached. However, upon closer inspection, you’ll notice that it asks for contact information besides the email address you’ve entered. If you think this isn’t grounds for suspicion, think again. There are many fake survey sites that do just this, ending up with you receiving cold calls or malicious messages designed to charge you respond.

Switcheroo Scams

Now there are also those that are known as switcheroo scams. As the name suggests, this is more or less a bait-and-switch scheme where you are given an innocent-looking survey. Upon answering a certain item or submitting your answers however, you’ll end up getting redirected to a usually unrelated and different site that urges you to join a certain subscription program. Whether you comply or simply leave disappointed, the direct traffic you just gave the site makes it a win-win situation for the scammer.

Of course, there are also many legitimate and free online surveys site that you can register to, answer surveys, and actually get paid some real cash. Just keep safe when you are looking for such sites and avoid fraudulent ones that intend to take your money without giving any sort of recompense.